WESTERN IOWA
Sunday, April 14, 1850
Yesterday, Saturday, John App and his traveling companion, Jake, arrived at a campsite in southwestern Iowa on their way to St. Joseph, Missouri. Today is the Sabbath so they will rest and not travel. The weather was cold and it was snowing when they woke up in the morning. The video for April 11 (in this post) shows the site the first time I visited it in 2006.
The second time I visited was in 2018, fully 168 years later on the same weekend that John and Jake were there. Just as it was for them, it was also snowing for me as you can see in the video below. It shows a landscape similar to what John and Jake may have seen on that morning of April 14, 1850. My car was warm, my telephone was next to me, and there was food to eat. For them it was cold, windy, snowy and all they had for shelter was their wagon. Yet, John never complained about the weather during his entire trip… it was just part of each day’s journey.
Stopping Point: Bend in present day road 169 just south of highway 2
Approximate Miles Traveled: 0
GPS Latitude: 40° 36.848′ N; Longitude: 94° 16.883′ W
Elevation: 1163 ft.
Notes about this post: There is an Amish school and home at this bend. They did not travel on the Sabbath.
Saboth Evening Apr 14th – This moring when I woke I found it snowing, snowed till noon, then the sun shone very Bright all afternoon the snow was about 3 inch deep But now nearly all gone this was a rather Lonesom day, this Evening we spent in singing Spiritual Songs- there is two old deacons in the camp
Stopping Point: Near Kellerton, Iowa
Approximate Miles Traveled: 30
GPS Latitude: 40° 43.484′ N; Longitude: 94° 00.872′ W
Elevation: 1069 ft.
Friday Eveing Apr 12 – this was a very Cold and windy day, Travelled about 25 miles Yesterday, this day about 30 miles nothing of Importance only I saw several going Back to their Homes
An interview with a cowboy that I met one morning in 2006 along the road near Kellerton, Iowa:
Saturday Evening Apr 13 – this morning it was very Cold and windy, froze very Hard Last night, This day we were alone all day, This Evening we had lots of fun 18 or 20 Teams in Camp among the Boys there was a Claronette and fiddle, we had good music, danced, waltzed, and raised, old times in the Camp- a little warmer this Evening- the grass is very slow comeing-
